I overlooked this among all the rest, but I do want to point out that this is actually exactly what I mean with "things you can advice people on." You can use a run-on sentence or fragmented sentences to convey certain states of mind.

This is a writing technique. We can teach each other these techniques.

It's actually funny that you should raise that one, because it's generally agreed upon in the writing community to not be very good advice. I hesitate to call it terrible, but the modern advice in general is to use "said" and avoid too many alternates, as they call attention to the word itself over the dialogue, and frequently add nothing that you cannot achieve through story beats or dialogue style.This is, I think, where I want to tread a bit more delicately. Let's be upfront that I never insinuated that using longer or shorter sentences said anything about the quality of writing: introducing that argument feels like a strawman. Advising on the purpose and effect a long sentence has on a reader does not necessarily mean using them or not means it is emblematic of bad writing. In fact, most writers will use both long and short sentences, because they achieve different effects. Like, grab a book, any book, so long as it has an action scene. Compare the action scene to another one, and then particularly the length of sentences for action segments.

You'll note they almost always use shorter sentences than otherwise.

Do you not suppose there's a reason for that?



For the rest of your post, it kind of feels like you're not really directing it at me. My argument has never been to shove writing feedback down everyone's throats, so I don't get why you're so up in arms over that. I understand you feel writing is subjective and it'd be way too difficult to provide feedback, but there is a profession that deals with it entirely, and I wouldn't feel comfortable putting editors down as a bunch of people who do nothing but have opinions about writing.

lovelorn
I do not want to put you on the spot or anything, and I'm glad you came out to answer my question on why we afford so little attention for the writing itself! But I'm curious: what experiences have you had that make it difficult (I assume that's what you meant) to give feedback on writing itself?

There's writing clubs, editors, agents, and other professions/communities where it's rather normal and expected to give advice on writing, so I'd love to get some insight why it's kind of...taboo? in the roleplaying world. One of my fondest recent roleplaying experiences was on Patisserie, where one of my roleplay partners took the time to message me with some feedback on my writing, and I kinda feel we should normalise letting others know what we like about their writing. And we should normalise asking others how we can make our writing more interesting.

Or even just have threads dedicated to generic writing advice, like when to use long sentences, what's the function of the first line, how to use beats, or whyever should we tell rather than show.

I've always thought it kind of weird that we have a lot of resources for finding PFPs, code snippets, layout help, et cetera et cetera, but virtually no resources whatsoever to help people on the road to writing. We also discuss layouts and skins and get feedback on all sorts of things...but not the writing itself.

Why is that


As for "focused on writing", there's Tumblr blogs (I know) that encourage developing the craft, but also subreddits. You could take a gander at those, perhaps?

The first thing I do when I visit a new site is to look for the light mode option.

The second thing is, I look at want ads and see if there's anything I'd like to take. Frequently want ads are a few weeks/months old, and those that are there often have a very specific character they're looking for, so it's often more difficult to take one than I'd like. I've taken a few want ads and I want to continue doing so, but it's such a turnoff when too many details (including FC and stuff) are already given.

I'd be happy to write my character in the role you need, but I'm not really interested in writing someone else's character.

Honestly, I feel like this is solid advice for most of life. The "making it way too complicated" part, at least. It's nice to let go, not fuss overmuch, and just enjoy the moment.

• I like to use a larger font: I like to use the size tags to make my font slightly larger than usual when writing posts (as demonstrated here). I find it easier to read lengthy posts this way, and hopefully it helps other people as well. It may not be as aesthetically pleasing as some, but I like not having to squint and to be able to lean back in my chair as I read.
  
  
• I treat roleplaying like improv theatre: In both, the actors involved are playing a character and reacting to situations, sometimes unexpected ones. "Yes, and..." is one part of it: whatever the other proposes, introduces, or claims, you accept it as true and react accordingly. But also, it means fomenting trust with each other, so you're not nervous about "getting things right." People make mistakes, that's fine; roll with the punches and continue the story. 
  
  That also means you want to introduce something new with each post so your partner can take it and run with it. This can be something your character says or does, but it can also be environmental elements; and please, trust each other to handle the environmental elements. Yes, sometimes even when it's your character's mother or whatever.
  
  "But Traveller," I hear you say (I have good ears), "what if they make my character's mother behave completely uncharacteristically?"
  
  "Well, my friend, then your character can remark on their mother's weird behaviour and maybe examine it, and a new plot opens up!" (Alternately: just because she acts off in one thread, doesn't mean she'll forevermore have to be off in other threads. It's OK to retcon once the thread is done to make sure your story is kept straight. For the sake of the thread, though, it's fine not to police each other too much, and it's fine to trust each other and work with what you get.)
  

I insanely want to write posts, but I'm inbetween sites again. Q_Q

ok but what if I want to roleplay an elderly lady who exudes a cold, powerful dominance over her surroundings

you know

the kind of granny who retired from the monarchy but still inspires fear in the hearts of her enemies and undying loyalty from her subjects

Eternal Return, somehow.

I wrote with someone like this not too long ago. It was my policy to accept whatever mistake they made as being canon, and I told them there was no need to edit it or feel bad about it. 

I don't mind we were talking in the bathroom and suddenly our characters are in the bedroom because you misread something. 

I've also seen roleplays introduce key roles in their site and call them "canon". Like if the RP world were Japan, you could have a "canon" role of playing the Prime Minister, with a set number of characteristics you have to conform to to pitch a character for that role.

Given some of the replies talking about leadership and stuff, I suspect this is what the others are talking about...


As far as playing canonical characters from the/a source material goes, I tend to prefer not to, as I'd feel the pressure to write the character right and not make them into something they're not. I used to do it, but after a few too many heated exchanges over whether I was representing them properly...yeah, no.

As far as the "canon roles" go, I've considered it too big a hurdle to apply for one, and I dislike how stringent some of the requirements are when I generally like to write younger characters rather than middle-aged ones. Something about the energetic frivolity that accompanies youth that plucks at my creative strings...and I haven't much of a taste for writing about Adult Problems.

Like most things that happen over the course of numerous years, we tend to be blind to the gradual changes that occur. Maybe you used to be able to run 1 kilometre without stopping, and then you can only run 900 metres but you think it's fine, and then you can only run 700 metres and you think it's only a little less, and so on. You're 21, and that's just past your teenage years, you can still wear those ankle-length pants with sneakers and a hoodie. At 22, well, that's only a year older than 21, and at 23, you're only a year older than 22, until eventually you walk the streets and some snot-faced brat points at you and snickers.

"Lookit that old fogey! That's so cringe." His friends roar with laughter. You look over your shoulder to see if there's some other old fogey there, but you see no one.

You hurry home, the boy's words echoing in your head. When you close the door behind you, the soft thrumming of his words have become a thunderous drumming, crowding out all other thought.

You look in the mirror, and you realise.

You're old and cringe. Ashamed, you take off the hoodie and grab the pullover your estranged aunt bought you for Christmas twenty years ago.

You're forty.